Jorge Posada will announce his retirement within the next two weeks, a source tells Sweeny Murti of WFAN (via Twitter). Previously, it was reported that Posada wanted to continue playing in 2012 if he could find the right situation.
Posada spent his entire 17 big league career with the Yankees after being drafted by the club in the 24th round of the 1990 draft. The catcher hit .273/.374/.474 for his career with 275 home runs. In total, Posada earned five All-Star nominations, including his resurgent 2007 campaign. That year, Posada hit .338/.426/.543 with 20 home runs and finished sixth in the voting for AL MVP.
According to Baseball Reference, Posada earned more than $117MM lifetime from the Yankees. The catcher re-upped with the Bombers prior to the 2008 season with a four-year, $52.4MM deal.
Two weeks ago, the catcher's father said that Posada was receiving interest from the Rays, Phillies, and Orioles. It's unclear how strong the interest was from those clubs as he didn't seem to be a clear fit for any of them. The O's were said to be after someone who could catch everyday if neccessary and the 40-year-old Posada likely couldn't provide that.
Surprise!
i wasnt expecting him to go anywhere else, he is a lifetime yankee, and had a great career, but his playing days are definetely over.
Not a Yankee fan but a baseball fan and he was a great Yankee, numbers alone wont get him in the hall but the 5 Rings just might. Its a rare thing to have a player play a whole career with one team and i am sure they loved him all the more for it.
The Yankees are one of the rare organizations that can possibly afford to keep their players together for an entire career. People can say what they want about the Yankees, but they pipelined some major talent out of that farm system in the 1990s. Sure, they spent money that only they could afford to spend….but the greatest parts of those teams were built from the system. I got tired of their domination, but it was interesting for a few years…after they’d been fairly lousy since the early 80’s. Those early teams with Wetteland, Brosious, Williams, O’Neill..etc were exciting. To me something changed once they started really pouncing the FA market with Giambi and Rodriguez.
It’s more like Kevin Brown and Giambi…The Yankees’ pounced the trade market with A-Rod.
My bad, you’re right…but it seemed to change the complexion of the team and the team chemistry. Scott Brosious certainly wasn’t A-Rod….but the Yanks seemed to have a deeper soul when he and Paul O’Neill were on the team.
brown was traded also
haha sad, you’re right. I guess we can call it the Jaret Wright Experience then.
Or Carl Pavano.
The worst part is i remembered wanting both to sign that season
I never knew Posada has 5 rings.You must of started watching baseball in 1998
If he started watching in 98 he would only known of 4 instances of the yankees winning the ws so i dont get your joke…
Hip Hip Jorge! Finally, it was about time he called it a career.
I would say something good about him, but he’s a Yankee, so I can’t.
I wish I could like this comment 1,000,000 times.
you can. Make 1,000,000 accounts
I would say something good about him, but he’s a Yankee, so I can’t.
Not surprised at all. The verdict in New York for Posada was either retirement or wearing a non-Yankee uniform.
Probably for the best at this point. Even as a Sox fan I’ve always liked Posada, but it’s time.
I hope Jason Varitek is somewhere hearing this, too.
I hope Jason Varitek is somewhere hearing this, too.
Great career. he shouldnt drag it out forever like some do. Thats 2 of the “core 4” gone!
hope he can live off the 117 million he made over his career
I agree about time I hate that little winey excuse for a catcher oh but wait I hate all Yankees couldnt even stand Reggie even after he made the wisest choice in his career becoming an Angel still hated him cause he was a Yankee
Jeff Mathis ftw!
Why do the angels and angels fans hate offensive catchers?
Boo hoo hoo.
Why don’t you concentrate on the teams in your own division? Not a team that has beaten you ONCE in the playoffs in the last two decades. Not to mention, the Angels have the greatest record against the Yankees in the last fifteen years. Hater in the house…
Big fan of Sado, he got a lot of flack last year and I’m glad he was able to show off a bit in the post-season even if it was brief. I’m glad he will retire a life long Yankee and look forward to seeing him one day at Old-Timers’ Day. Congrats on a great career!
Thank you Posada on a great career I’m glad u didn’t decide to end up playing anywhere else
It wasn’t his decision. No one would even look at him. That’s how bad he was.
Thank you Posada on a great career I’m glad u didn’t decide to end up playing anywhere else
Congrats to Posada! All the respect in the world for the guy. He was a life long Yankee and played the game the right way. Enjoy your retirement Posada. HOF.
Congrats to Posada! All the respect in the world for the guy. He was a life long Yankee and played the game the right way. Enjoy your retirement Posada. HOF.
It’s best this way. He’s a lifetime Yankee and that’s how it should be.
He had a great career and I liked when he fought Jesse Carlson.
Good for him. Would have been wrong to see him wearing another teams jersey.
I salute you! Congrats on a borderline HOF career. Now mentor Montero and teach him how to master the art of being a below average C who manages to have a great 15 year career.
He had a very good career. There’s no taking that away from him. But a borderline HOF career? I don’t really see any stats to back that up. Of the core four, Jeter and Rivera are HOF’s, but Pettitte and Posada are not.
Only 5 catchers in the history of the game have put a a bwar over 4 for 6 seasons, i’m sure offensively he is top ten in evry offensive catergory for catchers as well.
Agreed. 275 HR 273 AVG under 1000 Runs are NOT Hall of fame material. This is like me saying Torii Hunter is a HoFer right now he has better stats in nearly every category but he is obviously not in yet.
Hunter isnt a catcher though, and until he starts hitting .200 i doubt your manager will let him try it out
not to mention bat avg and runs aren’t the best ways to judge someone.
It seems to be a consensus that Posada is a borderline borderline hall of famer. At least you don’t have to worry about an asterisk next to his name when you talk about him a few years down the road.
Congrats on a great career Jorge. I do not believe you are a Hall of Fame catcher, but you are without a doubt a Hall of Fame Yankee. There have been very few players in MLB the last 15 years that have been as fiery and passionate as you about the game and about winning. Enjoy retirement, you earned it. Congratulations
He had a hell of a career, probably a little short of the hall of fame but a great player. I was never a Yankees fan but it was hard to follow baseball as a kid in the late 90s/early 200s and not be a fan of Jorge.
Jorge is def borderline HOF, and I see him getting in. Just a guess though. Guy was a great offensive catcher and has alot of rings. He should get in.
It’s about time
Great player great player have a great retirement
and if Bernie makes it I’m boycotting baseball
same and saying worse players are in isnt a good defense
He won’t. Its still the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good.
I thought highly of him up until he cried like a little league player about hitting 9th. In hindsight he was 5 months away from retirement and he should have been happy with the fact that he was on a major league roster. (And by the way making about 12 million to boot!) You can take your me first attitude to your couch and watch next year Georgie!
I’m not saying Jorge was right to complain but try to think about how difficult it is to be great at something your entire life, to have succeeded for years, to have it as your only profession, and to love doing it then seeing it all coming to an end because, just like everyone else, you’re getting old and can’t play like you used to no matter how hard you try.
he had 17 years to play a game for a living i dont feel bad for him at all.
I don’t think you should feel sorry for him, heck he’s made over a hundred million dollars, but I can see why he’d complain as his career was coming to an end just because of how frustrating it is for aging players to see their skills disappear.
I thought highly of him up until he cried like a little league player about hitting 9th. In hindsight he was 5 months away from retirement and he should have been happy with the fact that he was on a major league roster. (And by the way making about 12 million to boot!) You can take your me first attitude to your couch and watch next year Georgie!
It’s hard to know when to go, and he stayed a little too long. But there haven’t been too many catchers with his level of productivity-particularly often playing in high-stress situations. Maybe not Hall of Fame, but a pretty darn good career. If we had perfect foresight, would any of us sneer at a prospect like Posada?
One of the yankees that I’ve always respected. Shame his career had to sort of fizzle out like it did, but I guess thats how it goes. Best wishes to him in retirement
Glad to see this hothead retire
Get out of here!!!!
One of the greatest Yankee catchers.
Hip Hip Jorge! Thanks!
One of the greatest Yankee catchers.
Hip Hip Jorge! Thanks!
Respect out to Jorge. Solid career. I saw him go 2-2 with 2B and 2RBI at this game – http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA200708020.shtml -, in which 8 runs were scored in both the top and bottom of the 2nd inning. Looking up to the electronic banner from RF seeing “Hip Hip Jorge!” and people going nuts, a memory I won’t soon forget.
Respect out to Jorge. Solid career. I saw him go 2-2 with 2B and 2RBI at this game – http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA200708020.shtml -, in which 8 runs were scored in both the top and bottom of the 2nd inning. Looking up to the electronic banner from RF seeing “Hip Hip Jorge!” and people going nuts, a memory I won’t soon forget.
If peole actualy think Posada should be a HOF they need their head checked.His defense was awful and his offense was very good for a catcher but not great.I know Girardi is a very happy man today
“his offense was very good for a catcher but not great” if you think that this is true you should probably stop talking baseball, besides he was an vereage defensive catcher early on.
The only reason hes retiring is because no one was offering him a job. He would have had no problem playing for another team. That being said, the man was one of the best offensive catchers baseball all time. Thanks for the last 15 years Posada, its been great.
“The only reason he’s retiring is because the Yankees were not offering him a job and no other team was interested. That being said,
the man was one of the best offensive catchers baseball all time. Thanks
for the last 15 years Posada, its been great.”
Fixed that for you.
I don’t think it’s true. I can’t imagine he couldn’t got a job for 1/$2 mil to be a platoon DH, C, 1B considering how he hit last year vs RHP (14 hrs and a .814 OPS).
fine, your right, maybe a platoon role, but I dont think his ego could of taken another hit from last year. What is 2 mil going to do for him? Either no one was offering him any, or he was too proud to accept a job backing up for someone.
Solid catcher in his prime. Hard to see him in the HoF though. Never was a great defender, and has no significant milestones.
Not a Hall of Famer (if you’re looking for a future HoF catcher, you might want to go the borough across the Whitestone), but had a fantastic career and will probably be in monument park (if they still have that) one day.
Thanks to Posada, Piazza, and Hundley from 1996 to 2007, at least one catcher in New York had at least twenty home runs. How many cities can say that?
I dont think he’s a HOFer but to say he Isn’t a Borderline HOFer is ridiculous. He’s 15th all time in WAR for C. Currently there are 13 C in the HOF which obviously is not including Pudge and Piazza who are ahead of him in WAR. Not all of the C ahead of him in WAR though are in such as Joe Torre who had a WAR above 70 and was very close to Yogi Berra in WAR.
he was also extremly durable very few catchers caught more games per season then he did, which is why i doubt mauer will ever make it.
As a Philly sports enthusiast, felt the need to bust your balls a little. I currently live/work in the NYC area and went to college with enough North Jersey/New York kids to know how you guys work. You root for the one team, but the other one is on the backburner. Never had to make that choice so hard for me to criticize.
I often pose the hypothetical to my friends who we’d root for if both the A’s and Phillies were still in Philadelphia. One team would probably play in South Philly at the Complex, while the other would’ve probably settled in South Jersey. My Dad was 5 when the A’s skipped town so he’s always been a Phillies fan.
Well I guess he doesn’t need to announce it anymore.
Not Hall of Fame.
I never liked the guy, in fact I pretty much despised him.
however, his numbers are impressive.
Of course, Posada is a borderline HOF. He was a truly great offensive catcher and good enough defensively to stay behind the dish for 15+ seasons. I think Ted Simmons is probably the best catcher who is not in the hall of fame. Posada is at least close to Simmons and actually beats him in OPS+ 121-117. Simmons was around for longer and thus has better counting stats. Posada, if he does make the hall of fame, would be far from the worst catcher in the hall. I’m not a Yankee fan
but he was one of my favorite players to watch of all time. Have a good retirement Mr. Posada.
Simmons and Freehan are neck and neck for me….Posada is Darrell Porter with fewer walks….no HOF but nice career
Can someone explain to me why this guy isn’t being vilified for potential steroid use like some of the other folks who have never tested positive? Is it the slimming effect of the pinstripes?
That’s pretty much bagwell isnt it? Besides no one in this thread has stated that pudge used when discussing their respective careers.
That’s such an odd question. What about him screams steroids? It’s not like he had a sudden jump from being a 5 hr guy to a 35 hr guy and the 1 exceptional year he had late in his 30’s quickly came crashing back to earth and was during the testing era.
That’s like asking how come no one is vilifying Ichiro? Sort of random.
Excellent. This is the defensive response I was hoping for. So if the benchmark is a sudden and inexplicable jump in homerun numbers, can we agree that nothing about Bagwell and Piazza screams steroids either?
This is also the first time that I’ve ever heard a single exceptional year followed by a quick crash back to earth used as an argument AGAINST steroid use.
That’s such an odd question. What about him screams steroids? It’s not like he had a sudden jump from being a 5 hr guy to a 35 hr guy and the 1 exceptional year he had late in his 30’s quickly came crashing back to earth and was during the testing era.
That’s like asking how come no one is vilifying Ichiro? Sort of random.
Posada was probably a very good catcher, but I don’t think that I can call him HOF material. That he played until the age of 40 is an accomplishment in itself though.
As for his number being retired, I think that it will have to wait. I do not see his number (or Paul O’Neill’s 21 or Bernie Williams’ 51) being retired before Derek Jeter’s 2 or Mariano Rivera’s 42.